lachroniclesfandomcom-20200213-history
Madness of Lazu
The Madness of Lazu is a magical phenomenon generated by the powers of Lazu, the God of Chaos. It is an area-effect 'curse' that strips individuals of their ordered civility, leaving them with nothing beyond primal emotions such as lust, fear, and rage. Individuals who possess strong wills can ward off the full power of the Madness, but minor symptoms will still be present. Manifestations The source of the Madness is Lazu himself. Although his body was sealed away for most of human history, small portions of Lazu's spirit could still reach out and interfere with the mortal world. Existence cannot be without some degree of chaos, after all. Lazu's powers spread over the world, but became concentrated in certain key areas. The two largest concentrations of Lazu's power were: - The Labyrinth (on the continent of Verden) - The Eagle's Talons (on the continent of Norrendir) While Lazu's powers were responsible for the formation of both structures, the unusual concentration of his energy produced a clear side effect on the regions. Those who wandered into the Labyrinth or the Talons lost their mental clarity. They became violent, lustful beings obsessed with battle and sins of the flesh. The earliest known record of this phenomenon occurred in 776 BDW when the Labyrinth acquired its first permanent settlers. Anyone who wandered into the area acted as if they had taken some powerful drug - the rush from Lazu's chaotic energy produced a primal high not unlike a combination of an adrenaline high and the urge to mate. These individuals became more and more violent as time went on, but the strongest were able to retain some semblance of sanity throughout their long lives. It is likely that contact with The Madness of Lazu occurred much earlier than 776 BDW, but was poorly understood before that time. During The Battle of Olimandias, Lazu's full spirit was unleashed upon the world and Chikara Nadir became his earthly avatar. The release of Lazu from his spiritual bounds caused a rapid spread of The Madness. It didn't take long before most of Verden was consumed by the curse. The survivors who did not flee south over the mountains to The Empire of Koridai or The Kingdom of Calatia were driven insane, and the region became known as "The Cursed Lands" due to the devastation caused by the phenomenon. It is unknown if the present day version of "The Curse" is any stronger than what was present within The Labyrinth or Eagle's Talons, as most survivors of the Labyrinth have not ventured into the Cursed Lands for a prolonged period of time. It is possible that these individuals have some kind of immunity to the Madness of Lazu after years of previous exposure. Rare, strong willed individuals, such as Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear and the Grey Cloaks, have been able to live in the Cursed Lands without suffering from permanent damage. Symptoms The Madness of Lazu causes the following symptoms ("positive" symptoms generally take years to manifest): Negative Symptoms - Restlessness - Irritability / Short temper - Paranoia - Lack of mental focus - Fever and general state of unwellness (temporary) - Promiscuity - Stunting of emotions - Bloodlust / Increased aggression - Hearing Voices - Hallucinations and psychosis "Positive" Symptoms - Increased energy - Enhanced strength and stamina - Increased longevity (Chikara Nadir, as the oldest known living example, is at least 700 years old) Cures As the Madness of Lazu is an area-effect phenomenon, a person simply has to exit the saturated area in order for the symptoms to vanish. This can take a variable amount of time depending upon how long one has been plagued with the curse. It is possible that with the Labyrinth destroyed, its former citizens will begin to regress into "normal" humans now that they are living in uneffected regions. Selena Nadir has already noticed minor signs of this.